by Mike Shelton
About twenty guardians were corralled together and set up with guards, behind a fenced area. As he was led over to join them, they looked to Erryl for help. Then he saw that his father was among them. Erryl had been out of the city before, on his way to find Bakari, so he had observed how strange the world was outside of Celestar—a city where all their needs were met for them.
Some of the women began to cry, and Erryl moved over to them and tried to comfort them. “Things will be fine,” he said. “Gorn and the others will find us.”
Gorn was a battle wizard that had been Alli’s mentor and had arrived to help right after Bakari had. Gorn had taken a real liking to Celestar and was invaluable to Erryl for helping him to understand his young leadership responsibilities. A fierce battle wizard, Gorn was also a good mentor. And Erryl hoped the fighting in Celestar wouldn’t stop the wizard from helping them.
“What about the beasts?” someone asked.
“And, where will we get food and sleep?” questioned another.
These were just some of the questions the other guardians threw at Erryl. He didn’t know if he knew all the answers to their questions. The world was a big place.
Erryl scanned the area. A beefy man came to the entrance of the pen where Erryl and the guardians were being kept. The man was an elf, by the slope of his ears and eyes, but not by his weight. Erryl hadn’t seen many elves, but he didn’t think they grew so big around. The man’s belly pushed out his brown robes way over his toes.
He walked into the pen and grabbed the nearest guardian. “Tell me about the dragon.”
The guardian shook his head. “I don’t know anything, sir. I only saw it once.”
The man then grabbed another guardian and roughly pulled her close to himself. “How many wizards do you have?”
She glanced over at Erryl. But he gave a slight shake of his head to her. They couldn’t tell any information to these elves until they understood what was going on.
“My name is Governor Ellian,” the fat elf said, pushing the woman he had held to the ground. “I want answers. And I want them now. I want to know about the dragon. Where is it? How many wizards do you have? Where is Breelyn? Have Kanzar’s men arrived?”
The guardians stood quietly, but many of them glanced at Erryl for support. These looks were not missed by the governor. He strode over to Erryl.
“These guardians seem to be looking at you, son. What is your name?”
“Erryl Close, sir.”
“Well, Erryl, do you have the answers I need to know?”
Erryl had never felt so much fear in his life. His throat went dry, and he barely held himself up.
Then the governor grabbed Erryl’s chin and pulled it up. “We have been waiting years for the barrier to come down and for me to get my due,” the governor said. “Some youngster is not going to get in my way.”
Digging down deep inside himself, Erryl thought about Bakari, Breelyn, Alli, Gorn, and the others he had met in the last few months. His world had indeed turned exciting, more so than he would have ever thought possible when, as a guardian, he used to dream about leaving Celestar. These new friends had taught him many things, but the one thing that stood out was friendship, that and loyalty to something that was bigger than themselves.
“Like you said, I’m only a youngster. What would I know?” Erryl cringed inside as he said this. It wasn’t like him to be combative or rude to someone, but this man was not good. Not good at all.
“If that Breelyn girl hadn’t escaped, I would have more answers,” the governor mumbled under his breath.
With the mention of Breelyn’s escape, Erryl perked back up.
The governor grabbed Erryl, marching him out of the corral. Then Erryl was shoved against a nearby tree, and the governor grabbed his hands, pulling his arms around the back of the tree. The governor used rough vines to tie his wrists around the tree. Erryl cried out in pain as his arms were yanked back righter. He tried to move, but couldn’t, his back pressing against the tree's rough bark. Then tears stung Erryl’s eyes as his limbs were pulled back again, tighter. “No!” shouted one of the other guardians. “He’s just a boy!”
“Just a boy who defies me!” shouted Governor Ellian, his face red with exertion. “He knows more than he is willing to tell. So, now we will see how stubborn he can be.” The governor then motioned for one of his men to take another guardian, a middle-aged man, out from the others.
“What is your name?” the governor demanded.
“Reese.” The guardian hung his head low.
“Well, Reese, there are beasts here by the barrier,” the governor continued, “nasty things with sharp teeth and horns. They like to eat.” He scowled at the group of guardians. “But they do hold on to some kind of intelligence, and we have come to a type of understanding with them. They will leave us alone in these remote villages if we offer up some food to them. Normally, it’s a chicken or a dove or maybe a deer. But I think they would indeed take a liking to eating a guardian.”
Many of the guardians began to cry and to beg for help from their captors. But Erryl had never seen such evil in his life and didn’t know what to do. He just hoped that Gorn would find them soon.
The governor ordered one of his men to take Reese to the beasts. In silence, Erryl and the others watched the two fade into the forest.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten more.
A slight breeze stirred the leaves, and Erryl noticed a few gold and red ones float to the ground at his feet.
Suddenly a horrible sound filled the air—a beastly growl—and Erryl felt his hair stand on end. Then it was silent again. But he feared that this wouldn’t last long.
A lonesome, painful cry filled the air.
“Noooooo! Noooooo! Heeeeellllp!” Reese’s scream came, floating over the trees.
The guardians in the corral started yelling at once for someone to help the man, many of them bawling uncontrollably.
Erryl wanted to cover his face, but his hands remained where they were tied. Tears blurred his vision and dropped down onto his check, running down his neck and onto his shirt. But he had kept his mouth closed, and didn’t take his eyes off of the governor. Even some of the governor’s men turned away.
The yells from Reese abruptly stopped. Erryl heard a few echoes of snarls, and then silence filled the night once again.
Turning to Erryl, the governor’s face went hard. “Well, Erryl Close, this is what happens when you defy me. Every four hours until morning, another guardian will be taken and given to the beasts. By noon tomorrow, if I don’t have answers from you, then you will be the noon meal—you and the rest of this ragtag lot, all together. Think about it, Erryl. Or, you can talk and be saved.”
Erryl didn’t know whether he could take the death of even one more guardian, but he also realized that he didn’t dare give a man like this such information.
“We serve Alaris,” Erryl said. “We serve peace. We were prepared to give our lives to the Orb to protect the land,” Erryl continued, his voice coming out strong and clear as the other guardians listened and nodded in agreement. “The barrier is destroyed but not the intent, not the mission, not our responsibility. If we die, we die for something bigger!”
The guardians cheered and reiterated what Erryl had said.
But the governor strode over to Erryl and backhanded him. Then he began hitting Erryl over and over and over.
“Ready to answer yet?” he asked Erryl as blood dripped down the sides of the young guardian’s face.
But Erryl said nothing and let his head hang low. He sucked in a brief bit of air to try and still his cries.
“Then you will all die—die for nothing—because I will be king of this land!”
Erryl’s vision was blurry, and he could feel blood and spit dripping from his mouth.
“Never,” Erryl said in a whisper. “Never.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The fighting in Corwan was getting on Alli’s nerves. Too man
y good people were dying and all for the greed of the few individuals wanting power. In just the last hour, the docks had been breached, and Kanzar’s men were now advancing into the city. The tail end of a storm had dropped a bit of rain on the desert city the day before, but now the sun shone as brightly as ever, and the sands quickly absorbed any remaining moisture.
Alli stood on the roof of the governor’s building, surveying the layout of the city and considering what they could do to hold their defenses. The elves from Mallek were diligent in keeping the opposing army from breaking through the front gates, but Alli wondered how long these elves would allow their ranks to continue to be decimated.
Looking west, she hoped for some sign of Tam, returning with Judge Azeem’s army. But nothing yet stirred up any desert dust in that direction. Seeing the enemy coming quicker up from the docks than she had hoped, Alli took a deep breath and then let it out in slow puffs. Then she took the steps by twos back down to the ground floor and ran out into the city. Snaps and flares, from magic being used, scorched the air, so she picked up her pace.
Just before she reached the docks, a man sideswiped her, and she tumbled to the ground. She must be getting tired. She should have anticipated that. Rolling on the ground, she stood back up and faced a man that she recognized. He had fought with her and Gorn in Orr only a few months back. He seemed to recognize her also and gave a deep sigh.
“You don’t have to do this, Lars,” she said, preparing to fight against the man.
He cringed but brought up his sword. “You don’t understand, Alli. We belong to Kanzar now.”
“He doesn’t own you. Be a man, and do what’s right.”
The sounds of swords and of men yelling were getting closer. Soon they would be breaching the city itself.
“Easy for you to say, Wizard,” spat Lars. “You have magic to protect you. I have a wife and my children to think about.”
Alli knew that Lars had a good point, but someone needed to stand up to Kanzar.
Then Lars advanced toward her, with his sword out and a determined look on his face. With a sudden jump into the air, Alli spun in an arc around to the side of Lars, kicking the sword out of his hand on the way. Grabbing his other wrist, she twisted it behind him, forcing him to the ground.
“I don’t want to kill you,” she said. “But I need you to leave.”
Digging his heels into the ground, the muscle-bound man tried to push Alli away. So she stepped back and let his momentum send him flying to the ground on the other side of her, knocking him out in the process. Then she kicked his sword away and left him on the ground.
The sounds of fighting grew stronger, and the docks nearest to the river were now burning. Running toward the source of the flames, Alli spun her way through a dozen men, her blue cape swirling around her small body as if it were alive. She dropped men all around her: a sword thrust here, a punch there, or a kick to the head. She tried not to kill them, but sometimes that was hard when they were trying to kill her.
She reached the docks themselves and surveyed the damage. Then she sucked in a quick breath in surprise. Through the smoke and fire, she glimpsed Mericus, talking to someone. Looking more closely, she realized it was one of the enemy soldiers. A young man, not much older than herself, by the looks of him. Mericus seemed to be shouting at him and pointing.
What was the judge doing, talking to the enemy? Was he really who he said he was? Or, was he letting the enemy in through the gates? She never had trusted the man, his smooth talk and good looks. He was more a politician than a soldier for sure. But, was he negotiating his way out of this?
Alli clenched her jaw and turned back to the flames. She would deal with Mericus later. Putting forth her hands, toward the river’s water, she drew on her extensive power. She churned the water with wind until it stood up in the air, forming a funnel about ten feet high. But she found her concentration slipping. She was definitely getting tired. So, with one hefty heave, she brought the water crashing over the docks to douse the fire. The water hissed as it hit the burning docks, and a wall of steam flew up in the air.
She heard a mixture of cheers and yells behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, Alli saw two of Kanzar’s soldiers running forward to stop her. Turning back toward the water, she pushed her power out again and gathered water into the air. This time, her arms quivered and her hands shook. Three days of fighting with little rest were taking their toll.
She began to move the water. But, before she could get it completely over the docks again, a man hit her from the side, and she went skidding across the recently burning wood, charcoal and splinters of wood scraping into her thin leather pants. The water she had held in the air began to fall back into the river.
“Nooo!” she yelled and began pulling the water back up into the air. But a second man stood over her now, with his sword held high. She watched in a daze as his arm lowered toward her. Then, using a reserve of strength that she didn’t know she still possessed, she pushed herself forward, under the man’s legs, pulling the water with her and knocking him down. The soldier’s sword hit the dock, and then a wall of water smashed into him, throwing him a dozen feet away.
The rest of the water continued to put out the remaining fire. Alli breathed in deeply, trying to calm her beating heart. It hurt to breathe; she had taken in a lot of smoke and steam.
The first soldier, who had hit her, came back at her again now, rushing toward her. She could hardly gather the strength to stand. She pushed her dark hair out of her eyes and braced herself for the attack. Moments before the soldier reached her, his face registered shock, and he stumbled and fell forward. Alli rolled to the side, and the falling man just missed crushing her.
Looking back at him, she noticed a small knife sticking out of his back. She sat up, got onto her knees, and then scanned the area. Twenty feet away, Mericus stood, looking at her, with a grim smile. He approached and, with an outstretched hand, helped her up.
“Who were you talking to a minute ago, Mericus?”
“Not even a thank-you for saving your life, Wizard?” Mericus smirked, his white teeth perfect and his blue eyes sparkling down at her.
Alli grunted and tried to breathe in deeper. “I’m tired” was all she could say. The smell of burnt wood filled her nose, and her lungs hurt. “Did you let Kanzar’s men onto the docks?”
Mericus frowned. “Why would you think that? You need to rest.”
Alli grew even more suspicious when Mericus didn’t answer her clearly. She couldn’t trust anyone. Well, maybe Bak, and possibly Roland. Roland! Why did she always seem to think of him at the worst times? Maybe it was because he was arrogant and no good for her. But he did allow her to be raised to a full wizard. A level three wizard. And at only fifteen years old.
Now, she stood as the youngest battle wizard. Looking at Mericus, Alli was consoled by the fact that, as a wizard, he was now only her peer, being a level three wizard himself. So, without warning, Alli threw herself against Mericus, taking him to the ground.
He brought up his hands and, with an attack of air, pushed her off of himself. “What are you doing?” He jumped back up from the ground. “Are you insane?”
“I’m tired of being betrayed, and I’m tired of fighting.” Alli stood with hands on hips. She licked her lips, wishing for something to drink.
“I haven’t betrayed you!” Mericus roared. “I’ve been fighting with you these past three days, and I just saved your life.”
“Why were you talking to that enemy soldier? You pointed at the city. You were giving directions to him.”
Mericus took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. He took a step closer to Alli, and she readied herself. Barely able to stand, she gathered as much power as she could muster.
“That was my nephew, Alli,” Mericus said in soft tones. The two stood facing each other, strangely alone, the battle having moved off the burning docks and farther up, into the streets. “He’s not even a man yet.”
Alli let he
r power subside and then stumbled into Mericus. He caught her from falling and put an arm around her.
“I can’t bear to see him die,” Mericus said. “He is the only son of my oldest sister.” Mericus looked pained as he kept an eye open for any attacks. “I told him where to go to be safe. He doesn’t want to fight us. Most of these men don’t, but Kanzar has them so afraid.”
Alli felt ashamed. Just moments ago, she, too, let an old friend go free. War did rotten things to people, making friend fight against friend. She held on to Mericus and stared up at his face. It held smudges of ash from the burning docks, and his normally combed-back hair was messed up and singed. Unbidden and sudden, the thought of how handsome he actually was came to her exhausted mind.
Tentatively, Mericus reached up and brushed a stray hair out of Alli’s face. Alli wanted to smile at this unanticipated attention, but she was just too tired.
“Sorry” was the only word she said before she collapsed fully into his arms.
* * *
Chief Judge Daymian Khouri sat with his military advisers around a table. His dark tan face was indicative of the people of Orr—his hometown. His hair was still full and dark, but his thin beard and goatee were starting to show signs of gray. Having been a judge of Alaris for twelve years, the last three as Chief Judge, he’d faced difficult circumstances before, but the complete collapse of the government was not one he had been prepared for. He had been considered a good and fair judge, but now, under the pushing of Kanzar Centari, many people wanted a king. Daymian had agreed to stand by the vote of the people, but Kanzar had overpassed that vote and had set himself up as the king already.
Over the last few weeks, support had arrived from all over the kingdom. Those wishing to abide by the law of the land and to keep Kanzar from becoming the king.
“If the people want a king, I will step down,” Daymian said to the group, “but I will not—and I repeat—I will not allow Kanzar to be that king.”
Cheers and claps sounded around the table. These men and women, a handful of them even wizards themselves, sat in complete agreement: Kanzar had grown too power hungry to be a fair and decent king.